Akademik

let on
verb
make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret (Freq. 1)
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The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold

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The actress won't reveal how old she is

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bring out the truth

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he broke the news to her

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unwrap the evidence in the murder case

• Syn:
↑unwrap, ↑disclose, ↑bring out, ↑reveal, ↑discover, ↑expose, ↑divulge, ↑break, ↑give away, ↑let out
• Derivationally related forms:
↑giveaway (for: ↑give away), ↑divulgement (for: ↑divulge), ↑divulgence (for: ↑divulge), ↑exposure (for: ↑expose), ↑expose (for: ↑expose), ↑discovery (for: ↑discover), ↑revelation (for: ↑reveal), ↑revealing (for: ↑reveal), ↑disclosure (for: ↑disclose)
• Hypernyms: ↑tell
• Hyponyms:
↑blackwash, ↑muckrake, ↑blow, ↑out, ↑come out of the closet, ↑come out, ↑spring, ↑betray, ↑bewray, ↑confide, ↑leak, ↑spill the beans, ↑let the cat out of the bag, ↑talk, ↑tattle, ↑blab, ↑peach, ↑babble, ↑sing, ↑babble out, ↑blab out, ↑reveal
• Verb Group: ↑break, ↑get out, ↑get around
• Cause: ↑break, ↑get out, ↑get around
• Verb Frames:
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Somebody ——s something

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Something ——s something

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Somebody ——s something to somebody

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Somebody ——s that CLAUSE

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They let on that there was a traffic accident

* * *

informal
1) reveal or divulge information to someone

she knows a lot more than she lets on | [with clause] I never let on that he made me feel anxious

2) pretend

[with clause]

 they all let on that they didn't hear me

* * *

let on [phrasal verb]
1 let (someone) on or let on (someone) : to allow (someone) to get on a bus, an airplane, etc.

They let passengers with small children on (the airplane) first.

The bus stopped to let on a few more passengers.

2 let on or let on (something) informal : to tell, admit, or show that you know something

He knows a lot more than he lets on.

Don't let on that I told you!

She was unhappy, but she never let on. = She never let on to anyone that she was unhappy. [=she never showed or told anyone that she was unhappy]

3 US, informal : to pretend or seem

She's not as happy as she lets on.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑let

Useful english dictionary. 2012.